Improvement in fountains



G. FNLEY.

Improvement in Fountains.

Paened Agg. 27, '1872.

ilivrrEio1 STATES GEORGE FINLEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.'

IMPROVEMENT IN FCUNTAINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,798, dated August27, 18722.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FINLEY, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fountains; and I do hereby declare the 'following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in ,which-Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved fountain. Fig. 2 is a lowerend view of the cap on the lower end of the stem, showing thewater-inlet port closed by the rotating disk above; and Fig. 3, by alike view, shows the same port partly open.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each. ,f

My invention consists, in the construction of an ornamental revolvingfountain, of the features and parts hereinafter claimed.

In the drawing, a is the supply or water pipe, to which the stationarystem of the fountain is attached by the joint b. Above the joint is alarge chamber, c, in the upper end of which the stationary center pipeorhollow stem d is fastened, as at d. The lower end of the stem dextends downward nearly to the bottom'of the chamber c, and standsdirectly in front of the inlet a. The upper end of the stem l extendsupward nearly to the topof the fountain, and serves as a center pin orstem, upon which the working or revolving parts turn. Resting upon theshoulder e and enveloping the stem el is an outer shell, f, having twochambers, g, and a-jet-cap, 7L. Running downward from the center of thecap h through the entire length of the stem el, and project-ing throughthe cap z', which closes the lower end of the stem d, is a tube or pipe,k, into which water is admitted intermittingly by a circular rotatingvalve, x, consisting of the disk l, having a port, Z', rotating over theport m in the cap m, which screws onto the cap t' on the lower end ofthe stem d. The tube lc projects a little below the cap i so .as toallow it a slight vertical play or movement, which is limited in itsupward motion by the valve-box o and in its downward motion by theshoulder c, which supports the entire moving portion ofthe fountain. Inthe lower end of the stem d, inside of the chamber c, is a series ofinlet-.holes or openings, p,

through which the water passes from the chamber c into the stem d, fromwhich it passes, through the openings r, into the chambers g g.Extending out from four or more sides of the chambers g g is a series ofjet-pipes or arms, q, the ends of which are bent around s`o as to turnthe jet of water at right angles to the pipeg. The upper end of the stemd terminates at the jet-cap h so as to open into the jet-stems h. Theoutershell f is divided into two sections, f1 f2, each of which containsone of the chambers g, and which are separated from each other by thenut pr collarfs. When the fountain is in operation these sections arerotated in opposite directions by the reaction of the water passing fromthe jet-stems q, the bent ends of which are turned in the directionopposite to the direction of the rotation of the section. The rotationof the upper section f1 causes the rotation in like manner of the cap Itand tube k, thereby operating the valve w. The rotation of the cap hcauses the jets of water from the stems h to cross each other and form afigure like the figure 8, presenting a very beautiful and ornamentalappearance.

The operation is as follows: Water is admitted from the supply-pipe ainto the chamber c, and from thence passes, asindicated by arrows,through the'openings p into the center stem d, where a portion ascendsdirectly to and out of the jetfstems h', while the balance passesv outthrough the openings r into the chambers g g, and from thence into andout of the jetarms q, and by its reaction causes the rotation of thesections fl f2 in opposite directions. s, before described, the rotationof the section fL causes the operation of thelvalve w, which ad'- "mitsthe water intermittingly into the pipedc,

which being in a direct line from the supplyi- `pipe a, the water passesdirectly through without much friction, and, therefore, rises higherabove the pipe k than the jets which pass through the jet-pipes h. .Byreason of the action of the valve a; admitting the water into the tube kintermittingly the center jet of water rises and falls by a pulsatingmotion. The upward pressure of the water against the,valve-boxofoperating against the lower and outer surface ordisk l whenthe valve is closed, and against the inner 'and upper surface or disk owhen it is open, raises the valve-box, and with it the shell f, untilthe upper disk fv comes in contact with the cap z' a slight distance,

just sufficient to raisethe shell j' from the shoulder e. The effect ofthis is to reduce the friction of the working parts by transferring itfrom between the shoulder e and the lower end of the shell f to thewearing-surface of the adjacent faces of the cap i and valve-box o, theascending column of water serving to support almost the entire weight ofthe working parts.

By this application of the upward pressure of the column-of inflowingwater I am enabled to make a great reduction in the frictional wear ofthe working or rotating parts, and thereby overcome, in a great degree,one of the chief objections to rotating fountains.

The lower end of the center stem, perforated at p, serves as a strainerto prevent the passage of any obstructln g or clogging matter into thefountain, and for this purpose the perforations 19 should be as small orsmaller than openings 1' 1*.

The advantages of this fountain are its simplicity of construction, thecombination in one stem of devices for producing both stationary androtating jets of water, and the ease and perfection of its operation.

The jet-pipes q q are fastened with a screw or a ball-and-socket joint,so that they may be turned in any direction, and many striking andbeautiful effects may be produced by varying their operations. Theirnumbers may be increased or lessened; and the same is the case inreference to the jets in the cap h.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

' l. In a rotating fountain, the stationary center pipe or hollow stemd, having perforations in its lower end, in combination with thewater-chamber c, chambers g g, and oppositelyrevolving jets q q,substantially as described.

2. The pipe 7c, having an exposed surface or disk at its lower end,extending transversely Witnesses:

A. S. NrcrroLsoN, T. B. KEER.

